This is your pilot speaking. If you look out to your left, you can see we are now passing over the beautiful city of Laguna Beach. Flight crew, please prepare for landing.

I read the letters in the paper a few months ago about the rash of planes flying over south Laguna and I empathized with them. I hoped something would be done but soon forgot about it because I live in north Laguna.

Well, guess what? As I awoke last Saturday morning I began hearing one plane after another flying right over us. My wife had mentioned that she had been hearing more planes than usual but I had just written it off as a temporary annoyance. Not anymore. It seems as though Laguna has officially become a flight path for John Wayne Airport.

How and why this is happening are questions that should be asked by our City Council. Once this becomes an accepted practice it will be too late and our peace, prosperity and property values will be greatly compromised.

One Comment

Michael MooremApril 17, 2013 at 9:00 am

Dennis, I am a commercial pilot and don’t enjoy jet noise either. I have flown commercial jets out of Orange County airport for 30 years. I’d like to share my experience with you on this, if I may. When aircraft depart SNA for points east, such as Pheonix, Denver, Dallas they are typically routed over Laguna. The variable is the aircraft on a similar route that departed LAX or Long Beach. They will be above the SNA departures, on the same track. So, the altitude of the flights is restricted (sometimes) by the luck of the draw. Believe me, we want to climb as quickly as possible.

As for flying over Laguna when landing at SNA, this only occurs in Santa Ana wind conditions. Again, our altitudes are affected by San Diego, Long Beach and LAX arrivals.

In conclusion, I do not believe there are more low altitude flights over Laguna than in the past, but perception certainly can become reality. And you are correct, noise is noise.